The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-03-26
THE SAINT OF CARTHAGE.
A Brief Review of St. Augustine's Early
Manhood-Ris Pride Of Intellect
and It's Cure.
HIS MARVELLOUS ACTIVITY AS
A Master Of CONTROVERSIAL Page Fror1
the Early History Of the
Catholic Church,

Looking back through past ages, OBJ
serves the Dublin Nation, and con-
templating the indistinct pictures we
possess Of great nations, great men
and great events, we see a few figures
stand out boldly amid the surrounding
gloom, and thus impart some degree Of
life and spirit to epochs Of which little
else is visible. Such, indeed, would
seem to be tine effect Of {; great man
destined to mould the ideas of his age,
and appear to future generations as its
best representative. Men of this stamp
are rare, and although the cause Of
truth has seldom lacked talented up
holders aud apologists, yet it is mat
ter for regret that there are not more
whose splendid gifts are devoted to the
maintenance and propagation of cor
rect principles. For those who would
aspire to this task Of guiding the cur
rent of human thought into proper
channels, a nobler model could scarcely
be found than St. Augustine Of Hippo.
His life from first to last is typical Of
tbs half. pagan, half Christian world of
his time. Fifty years after the close Of
the great persecution inaug gurated by
Diocletian and C1alerius: $50 from the
time of Tertullian, the violent blows Of
the Roman Empire had recoiled upon
itself, and the Christian Church rose in
all the beauty Of her majestic organiZa-
tion from the catacombs, where her in
fancy had been protected. Her dom
inion had extended widely, and the
words of Tertullian to the Pagans were
then more applicable than ever: 1--WE
are but OF yesterday, and yet we I'LL all
that you have-yOnr towns, islands,
fortres ses, camps, the palace, the sem
ate, the law courts; the only thing we
leave entirely to you are the temples, y
Yet the victory Of the Church over I'M
perial Rome was not without its alloy
of evil. The errors oil the .Arians,
ManichBans and Donatists now en-
gagged public attention., and in addition
the luxury and corruption Of the time
seducel not q few Of those who had
been born i'll the faith. This was es-
pecial]y the case in Africa, where the
widespread Donatist schism had re-
duced the Church to q condition Of the
greatest distress, and hindered her as
we'll from discharging her ordinary du-
ties as from promoting civilization and
true progress. In such time Angus
tine was born. Reared in the Pagan
schools OF Madaura and Carthage, the
Christian sentiments instilled by his
mother, Monica. were speedily OBJ
liberated, and corrupt companions soon
led him along the downward path Of
vice. 1t is not then to be wondered at
that, his morals once undermined, the
scant knowledge he possessed Of the
Christian faith should fade from his
mind, and it's place be taken by a host
Of erors and absurdities. For indeed,
the Manichiean doctrines which he
then adopted, although coming from
sect protesting to be guided entirely by
the light Of reason, were such as only a
darkened intellect OF q diseased fancy
could invent Or imagine. We have
neithsr sufficient space nor desire to en-
ter into a detailed account of what
these principles were. But the author
OF the life under review has given an
extract from St. AugustiDe's work, Ode
Uulitate Credendi:" which is not with
out it's bearing upon some theories of |
our own day: t'Thou knowest. Hon
oratus, that for this reason alone did
we fall into the hands Of these men
that they professed to free US
from all error, and bring us to God by
pure reason alone, without that terrible
of authority. For what else
me to abandon the faith of my
childhood and follow these men for
almost nine years, except their asser-
tion that we were terrified by supersti-
tioa into a faith blindly imposed upon
our reason, while they urged no one to
believe until the truth was fully dis
cussed and proved? Who would not be
seducel by such promises, especially if !
be were a proud, contentious young
man, thirsting for truth, such as they
then found meY' What these pre-
tenders to right reasoning taught him
be tells in the Confessions. II was
brought by insensible degrees to believe
such fooleries as that when a fig is
gathered, it and it's mother tree weep
milky tears; and if eaten by some
saint, though plucked by
another's crime, it sends forth angels
nay, even particles of God Himself.''
How he fought his way out Of these err
cors the seventh book of the Confess
sions details, and ii any one is desirous
the grs atness of Augustine's
mental powers, ne cannot do better